


Echoes

by carrottin



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon | Pokemon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon Versions
Genre: Budding Relationship, Mental Illness, Minor Violence, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-08
Updated: 2018-09-08
Packaged: 2019-07-08 09:35:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15927716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carrottin/pseuds/carrottin
Summary: Ghetsis and Colress walk through Mount Lanakila's Icy Caves together and have a talk.





	Echoes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [IcyKali](https://archiveofourown.org/users/IcyKali/gifts).



> This is just a short fic I wrote after reading IcyKali's Routines Rewritten. The dynamic there is really interesting so here is my attempt at playing with it.

The wind whistled eerily through the narrow passageways of Mount Lanakila as Ghetsis followed Colress to an “area of scientific importance he just had to see.” Ghetsis grit his teeth as he thrust his cane particularly hard into the icy dirt and stepped carefully over the gradually inclining and uneven terrain. That Colress had no consideration for how difficult this trek was in his current state! He was just chattering away about the frozen stone they had passed earlier which apparently had evolutionary significance for the abundant Crabrawler that were only found in warmer climates in this region. 

“--So that must mean that a symbiotic relationship developed at some point between Crabrawler and their trainers in order to bring out their full potential! Isn’t that fascinating?” Colress said. As Colress turned the corner a Golbat swooped in front of him. Colress made a face of dull surprise. “Oh, I am not interested in you… go away!” 

Colress pulled a small device from his pocket and pressed the button on it just as the Golbat screeched and dove towards him. The Golbat suddenly veered sharply to the right and crashed into the wall with an audible crack. Ghetsis smirked with amusement as it dropped to the ground and lay unmoving. Colress continued walking and Ghetsis followed after him. 

“Myah-ha-ha-ha! I imagine that that is a ‘Colress Machine’ you can’t use so easily around impressionable young trainers!” Ghetsis cackled. 

Colress’s lips curved into an annoyed frown. “Colress Machine No. 4 works by disrupting the echolocation of bat Pokémon with sound bursts that are imperceptible to humans. It is an efficient way of avoiding tiresome and repetitive battles with little environmental impact but it was not received well by the trainers I tested it on, no. They would rather douse themselves in aerosol repellents.” 

“Well, I prefer the use of your Colress Machine No. 4, the air in these passages can become so foul,” Ghetsis said. Colress made a pleased sound and Ghetsis’s face warmed against his will. He gripped his cane tighter and picked up his pace. Stop thinking like that, it is a foolish thought and it’s only going to distract you from why you’re here. Foolish, wasteful, imperfe—

Colress turned to face Ghetsis suddenly, his face shining with excitement. “We are almost there! It is just up that hill!” Colress paused for a moment as he evaluated Ghetsis’s flushed and pinched face. “Do you need to rest? We are so close…” 

Ghetsis scowled. “No, don’t be ridiculous! I’m just trying to get around you, move!” Ghetsis pushed past Colress and stabbed his cane into the ground with vehemence as he clambered up the incline. His vision swam as he reached the top and turned around quickly to face Colress, who was still standing at the bottom of the incline with a neutral expression. Ghetsis’s chest heaved and the shimmering fog of his breath betrayed the energy it had taken for him to reach the top. Colress continued to regard him silently. 

“W-what are you waiting for? Hurry up and show me whatever it is you wanted to show me!” Ghetsis panted. Colress typed on his console for a moment before easily walking to the top of the incline. 

“It is just through here,” Colress gestured towards an opening in the cave wall. He stood typing for a moment, staring blankly at the opening. Ghetsis caught his breath and inwardly seethed as he took the opportunity to rest. Once Ghetsis’s breathing had evened out, Colress turned to smile at him blankly. “Follow me,” said Colress. 

Colress proceeded through the opening of the cave and Ghetsis followed slowly after him. The cave opened into a large clearing with a large depression in the middle, as if something had crashed into the ground and devastated the area. The stars twinkled weakly through a faint cloud covering. It was silent, as if the clearing was holding its breath. Colress climbed carefully down to the center of the crater and waited patiently as Ghetsis made his way down. They stood quietly, side by side. It was noticeably darker than it should have been at the bottom of the crater and Ghetsis furrowed his brow as he was struck with an odd sense of kinship. After a long while, Colress spoke. 

“This is where Necrozma landed after the Champion broke its fusion with the Legendary Pokémon. I have been monitoring the area periodically and the photon count is still lower than it should be. It is difficult to notice with the naked eye unless it is a dark night already, like it is tonight.” 

Ghetsis made a small hum of acknowledgement and stepped so he was in the deepest part of the depression. He stood facing the steeper side of the crater. He could faintly make out marks on the ground where a creature somewhat taller than himself had lain. Claw marks remained from where Necrozma had heaved itself to its feet… or perhaps where it had dug into the stone while it lay there in pain. 

“When the Ultra Recon Squad approached me with the project for controlling Necrozma I was reminded of my work on the DNA Splicers and Kyurem. Pokémon fusion is something that you know I am particularly interested in and Legendary Pokémon often present the opportunity for measuring the full potential of all life forms involved. However, Necrozma is different from Kyurem. It is not an empty shell but the result of what happens when a Pokémon is pushed beyond its limits,” Colress explained. 

Ghetsis stiffened, “Did you bring me here to compare me to some broken Pokémon? Don’t think that I don’t know what you’re implying, Colress.” Ghetsis turned to face Colress. “My limits are far beyond this and anything else you seem to think has lessened me!” 

Colress’s brows furrowed in an expression of true annoyance. “Oh, you are being intolerable right now! I am not making any statements on your limits, I am telling you about my work on Necrozma! I thought you might be interested in hearing about a powerful Pokémon capable of fusion that remains in control and has a lasting impact on the environment it is in!” Colress paused and turned to face away from Ghetsis, “If anything I would have been making a comparison to your potential… not your limits.” 

“And what potential is that? Do you mean to say that you look at me and see potential, Colress? How very kind of you to admit what I already know,” Ghetsis said. He smiled viciously at Colress and Colress puffed out his cheeks in annoyance. 

“How rude! You certainly have the potential to annoy me!” Colress said, crossing his arms. Ghetsis laughed triumphantly and his dark mood passed. His smile lingered as he regarded Colress’s annoyed expression and it deepened as Colress huffed. Overhead, there was a break in the cloud covering and moonlight suddenly shown powerfully on them. Ghetsis continued to watch Colress and he suddenly became serious. 

“I apologize for assuming that you brought me out here just to insult me. Clearly that is not the case and you have demonstrated that you care about me,” Ghetsis said. Colress flushed and his eyes became shifty at Ghetsis’s words. Ghetsis felt himself flushing at Colress’s response but continued to look at him as he smiled softly. Colress’s nervous energy seemed to amplify. 

“W-well, I accept your apology! I will admit that I did bring you out here because I c-care about what you think!” Colress exclaimed. He attempted to meet Ghetsis’s gaze but quickly looked down to type on his console distractedly. Ghetsis’s smile broadened.

“Oh, come now, Colress. Surely you can do better than that! I already admitted it for you and you still can’t say you care about me?” Ghetsis said. Colress looked at him again and made a small noise before aborting his attempt at communication once more. Ghetsis strode closer to Colress and stood before him. 

“Perhaps it would help if I went first?” Ghetsis closed his eye and smiled, “Colress, I care about y—oof!” Ghetsis suddenly had the wind knocked out of him as Colress embraced him. Ghetsis’s heart thudded in his chest at the unexpected affection and he wrapped his arm around Colress’s shoulders without thinking. He was suddenly aware of how cold he had been earlier at the warmth from Colress’s body seeped into him. 

“I care about you!” Colress exclaimed into Ghetsis’s chest. Ghetsis’s heart thudded again and he wondered if Colress could feel how hard his heart was beating through his own apparent nervous energy. The wind picked up and Ghetsis tightened his arm around Colress at the sudden chill. He smiled as Colress seemed to calm at his stronger touch.  
“I care about you too,” Ghetsis echoed with a smile on his face. They stood together quietly for some time before gazing at each other in the moonlight and silently walking back through Mount Lanakila’s Icy Caves together.


End file.
